Meet Our Team

Memory is the Memory is the Executive Director, The African Women's Development and Communication Network (FEMNET).

Memory is an intersectional feminist, a women’s rights activist with over 18 years of experience working on issues of gender and development, women’s empowerment and human rights at national, regional (Africa) and international levels.

As a dynamic pan-African feminist, thought-leader and strategist, Memory is passionate about making a difference in the lives of women and girls using diverse approaches grounded in social justice, feminism and gender equality analysis and practice. She holds a Masters of Philosophy in Management, Integrated Water Resources with a focus on women in leadership and is currently pursuing a second Masters degree in Peace, Human Rights, Gender and Development. Memory joined FEMNET in April 2016 as Head of Programmes, leading and strategically coordinating the programmatic conceptualization, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of FEMNET’s advocacy, communication and capacity building approaches. Prior to joining FEMNET, Memory worked a Gender and Economic Empowerment specialist at International Youth Foundation. She also served as the Executive Director of The Women’s Trust in Zimbabwe, following an accomplished 8 years in the UN in various capacities at UN Women, UNIFEM and UNFPA at both regional and national level. Memory values deep relations that are empowering and timeless.

George Awalla leads VSO’s partnerships and fundraising in Horn of Africa, covering Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and South Sudan, and is a Co-Chair of SDGs Kenya Forum. George has over 20 years work experience in programme development and management, fundraising, and civil society leadership. George has MBA degree specialising in strategic management, is finalising a Masters degree in Development Studies. His first degree was in Agriculture Education and Extension. George serves as Executive Liaison for the Mandela Washington Fellowship Programme/Young African Leadership Initiative in East and Central Africa under IREX.

George has also worked in West Africa as project coordinator for Development in Nigeria. George has wide experience in management of donor funded international development programmes in Education, Livelihoods, Governance, Gender and Social Inclusion. placements, George provides technical advise to Viwango a CSO standards mechanism in Kenya; and was involved in the development of Women Economic Empowerment Strategy for Kenya. He has also been a writer on development issues for The Governor a monthly magazine on governance and development issues

Ms.Florence Syevuo is a renowned Civil Society Coalition Builder, Coordinator and Campaigner to ending poverty and inequalities in all its forms leaving no one behind. Florence worked initially as a coordinator and youth champion for Millennium Development Goals since 2006 jointly with the then Ministry of Devolution and Planning-MDGs Unit, United Nations Millennium Campaign as a convener of civil society organizations under the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP). Following a vast coalition building experience Ms. Syevuo was appointed as the Country Coordinator of The SDGs Kenya Forum in 2016 to championing a harmonized approach to implementing the 2030 Agenda in Kenya by fostering partnership and ownership among all stakeholders.

Ms. Syevuo has been instrumental in numerous policy advocacy & change processes, generated research papers and key reports, and coordination of mass citizen mobilization for action events including Stand Up & Speak Out Campaign and Action 2015. Ms. Syevuo together with colleagues have specialized as co conveners facilitating civil Society organizations joint action and engagement with government executive, legislature, judiciary arms and technical ministries, private sector, academia and media to accelerate progress and to facilitate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development in Kenya.

Key Roles

• Kenya Interagency Technical SDGs Group/Committee Co-Chair- Chaired by National Treasury and State Planning &Co- Chair Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) http://planning.go.ke/

• Co-Chair , Global South-Transparency Accountability &Participation (TAP) 2019 http://tapnetwork2030.org/

• Kenya Interagency Committee member on Gender Statistics Making Every Woman and Girl Count- Lead by Kenya National Bureau of Statistics and UN Women https://www.genderinkenya.org/ungendernews/making-every-woman-and-girl-count-kenya-to-implement-un-womens-global-programme-on-gender-statistics/

• Africa Board Member-Civic Commission for Africa on TICAD Process https://www.facebook.com/CCFAf/

• Uwezo Kenya National Advisory Committee Member, TWAWEZA East Africa www.twaweza.org

• Advisory Committee Member-Deliver for Good Kenya Campaign https://womendeliver.org/deliver-for-good-kenya-campaign/

Festus has a wealth of experience with economics, econometrics, mathematical, statistical models and modelling as well as over seven years of relevant experience with participatory research, monitoring and evaluation, inferential statistics and econometrics. He has a deeper understanding of both quantitative and qualitative research methods. He has carried out research using experimental (e.g. RCTs), quasi-experimental (e.g. Difference in difference – DD) and non-experimental designs (cross and panel studies) as well as qualitative methods.

He has both international, regional, national and county experiences in matters monitoring, evaluation and learning, as demonstrated by his work on child labour and caste system within the (informal) agricultural households of Southern States of India (IFP - Tamil Nadu); gender gap in productivity case of Uganda for agricultural households (GreThA); Access to the market by women rice farmers and constraints to maximum utility of government incentives in Benin (IFPRI); gender analysis for the UNWFP Kenya on food security outcome monitoring, beneficiary contact outcome monitoring, School meal programmes, Asset creation monitoring, M&E framework development, resource mapping among others. He has also engaged with government entities like National gender equality commission in production of reports tabled in parliament to reaffirm the representation of the Special Interest Groups in parliament as per article 100 of the Constitution of Kenya. He not only understands devolution but also efforts to have gender anchored in all structures of the state. Having worked on GBV analysis on public and the private sector engagement in the latter, he understands inferences of SDGs and especially SDG#5. He has a mastery in French “Langue de Molière”

Hellen is the Gender and Advocacy Lead at the SDGs Kenya Forum, a platform that brings together over 350 diverse civil society organizations, government entities, academia, media and the private sector who work to influence multi-stakeholder policies and actions for the achievement of the 17 SDGs in Kenya. She has over 15 years' experience in Gender and Sustainable Development -having worked with international, regional, and national governance processes and with civil society organizations such as ActionAid, FEMNET, AWAN-Afrika, and SDGs Kenya Forum.

Medika Medi has over eight years of experience in developing and coordinating communications plans, serving as the primary focal point for internal and external communications amongst Non-Governmental Organizations, Donors, Media Institutions and Government representatives both regionally and globally.

This experience has made Medika be resourceful with a vast network and deep understanding of communication management, fundraising, advocacy, brand management, social media and new technology savvy, multimedia content generation, human rights and mastery skills in Adobe Creative Suite. 

Previously Medika has worked with Multimedia University of Kenya, Media Development in Africa (MEDEVA), Kenya Human Rights Commission, African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP), a founding member of Inuka Afrika and a volunteer with the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), one of the largest volunteer organizations in the world, serving more than 45 million people in 119 countries.

Currently, he is also a Board member at the Zaina Foundation Non-Governmental Organizations whose mission is to empower girls and women in Technology through Digital security and privacy capacity building workshops and training.

Medika holds a Master’s degree in Development Communications from the University of Nairobi and a Bachelor of Science in Communications and Journalism from Moi University.

Currently serving as the M&E Officer, Owino, a Certified MEAL Personnel, is a holder of a Bachelor’s Degree in BSc. Mathematical Sciences with IT (Applied Statistics Major) and a Master’s Degree in Projects Planning and Management.

He has gathered more than 8 years of progressive experience in Health, Humanitarian and Development MEAL and Data Management from organizations he has worked with; KEMRI-FACES, University of Maryland Baltimore - PACT Endeleza and Kenya Red Cross Society- Global Fund Programs.

Mr. Owino possess great proficiency in Project Management; Project Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Accountability and Learning, Coordinating and Managing Program and Data Quality. Research & Surveys (Qualitative & Quantitative, Analysis and Reporting), Analytics (Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis) and Visualization Skills. Owino comes with vast experience engaging with the National and International Donors and Implementing Partner Organizations in the Country (Global Fund, PEPFAR, KEMRI, CDC, BMGF, IFRC).

“The Goal is to Turn Data into Information and Information into Insight”, Carly Fiorina.

Ms.Winnie Muindi holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Security Studies from Daystar University. She minored in Peace studies and shows a particular interest in Diplomacy even by how she interacts with others in her day to day life.

Ms.Winnie Muindi is the current Membership Liaison Officer of the SDGs Kenya Forum facilitating the day to day interactions of the SDGs Kenya Forum with other external organizations that are part of our paid membership and partnerships. She offers great support to the rest of the secretariat in terms of Logistics, Procurement and Administration as well.

Ms.Winnie Muindi has worked and interacted with vast member organizations and is very familiar with the various roles that organizations and Civil Societies play in order to attain the Sustainable Development Goals Targets in Kenya.

Nicholas Odaga holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Moi University and CPA Part 1&2. He is also studying a Master of Business Administration at Quantic School of Business and Technology.

Nicholas is currently the grants assistant and provides support to the SDG Kenya forum and Development Initiatives in the implementation of the GIZ project, including monitoring of the program and the grants process and procedures from inception to completion.

Nicholas was previously a project accountant at a Compassion International aided project KE0727 in Nairobi, Kenya where he oversaw the cognitive development of over 250 beneficiaries as well as controlled the project finances and ensured the holistic development of all the beneficiaries. 

Over the last 3 years he has been a part of a mission team doing outreach activities to vulnerable people in the society with the gospel of hope focusing on dumpsites in Kenya. Through this ministry, many families have been reconciled and the lives of many young people transformed and changed.

Sharon Abuga holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a specialization in Finance and IT from Maseno University. Her passion for problem-solving, data analysis, and fund management led her to specialize in Finance. Currently, Ms. Sharon serves as the Finance and Administration Assistant at SDGs Kenya Forum. In this role, she works closely with the Grants Officer to facilitate financial management and procedures for the organization. Additionally, she provides support the Forum in administration, procurement, and front-office tasks. Over the past three years, Ms. Sharon has worked with Upendo Educational Centre, an orphanage, as a budgetary consultant and motivational coach. She is passionate about helping orphaned children in society by ensuring access to quality education, safe housing, and adequate food. Her work aligns with the sustainable development goals in Kenya, which aim to uplift the less fortunate in society.

Miss Mary Mumo holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Sociology and professional certification in Project management, safeguarding, and responding to GBV disclosures in emergencies. Miss Mumo is passionate about gender and development, and currently studying a Master of Arts in gender and development studies at Kenyatta University. 

Mary is currently the gender officer at SDGs Kenya forum, working alongside the gender lead in planning, implementing, and monitoring the SDG 5 program activities. The program seeks to strengthen the SDGs Forum as a social accountability platform for SDGs, as well as strengthen the capacity of the forum’s stakeholders including the government in developing gender-responsive policies, budgets, and reporting.

Miss Mumo has experience in gender mainstreaming across various humanitarian and development programs including climate change, Women's economic empowerment, GBV prevention and response, and policy &advocacy.